Sunshine and swimming: Patrick’s fun life after a minimally invasive thoracotomy for AV canal defect

Life had seemed normal for Patrick* and his family in June 2025. He celebrated his second birthday and was reaching all the expected milestones for children his age.

But just months after he blew out the candles on his birthday cake, Patrick’s pediatrician heard a heart murmur. Further testing revealed he had a partial atrioventricular (AV) canal defect, a combination of heart conditions that can potentially cause serious heart and lung issues.

The diagnosis shocked his parents; Patrick had shown no symptoms. They suddenly had to understand the condition and find out how it could be treated — and where. 

They eventually chose to travel from their home in Florida to Boston Children’s, where Patrick had a thoracotomy — a unique minimally invasive cardiac surgery that treats several types of congenital heart defects (CHDs) with a small incision under the armpit. It’s an alternative to the sternotomy, a traditional surgery that accesses the heart through the chest cavity. Boston Children’s is one of the few pediatric hospitals in the U.S. to offer the thoracotomy for partial AV canal defect repair.

Patrick’s mom, Megan*, is happy it was a treatment option. “I wanted him to go to the best of the best,” she says. “I’m glad we were able to find a hospital where he could have it.”

A hunt for information led to Boston Children’s

Early on, though, Megan had to make sense of the surprise diagnosis. She felt further stunned by a local cardiologist’s prognosis that Patrick would need open-heart surgery as a child and again later in life. It put Megan into “research mode.”

After learning how an AV canal defect affects circulation, she sought advice from a Facebook group for parents whose children have CHDs. “Everyone was saying go to Boston.” That prompted her to join a Facebook group called Boston Heart Families, where “everyone was talking about Dr. Baird.” 

Looking up cardiac surgeon Dr. Christopher Baird, Megan “was blown away by everything I had read about him.” She also watched a Boston Children’s webinar in which Dr. Baird and other Benderson Family Heart Center specialists discuss how the thoracotomy repairs an atrial septal defect (ASD). She learned that Dr. Baird and his team can also treat AV canal defect with a thoracotomy. “I knew that it could be done that way on adults but hadn’t been able to find anything about it being available for kids.”

Appreciating the expertise of Patrick’s care team

Once Megan knew thoracotomy could be a treatment option for Patrick, she submitted a second opinion request to the Heart Center. The next morning, she heard from Victoria Perchenok, a Department of Cardiac Surgery case coordinator. “I was impressed by how quickly she got back to me and how on top of things she was.”

Dr. Baird then delivered good news: Patrick was a candidate for a thoracotomy. He described how the procedure works and how his team would approach it. It was a welcome experience for Megan, who felt she wasn’t getting enough information or treatment options from Patrick’s local cardiologist. She felt assured when Dr. Baird recommended performing surgery sooner than later, wanting to get ahead of the AV canal defect potentially damaging Patrick’s mitral and tricuspid valves.

Surgery in July of this year went well; Dr. Baird and team fully repaired the defect. Patrick’s Boston Children’s cardiologist Dr. V. Kandice Mah prepared the family for what to expect during recovery, which was much shorter than if he had had a sternotomy. “It was great to have people who knew the answers to questions before I had even asked them — to tell me what to expect,” Megan recalls. 

She also appreciates the post-surgery care Patrick received in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) and the way the staff ensured the family was comfortable during their three-night stay. Many CICU clinicians stand out but Megan will never forget Chris Brown, a night shift nurse. “If there was anything we needed, he had it immediately. And he was proactive getting Patrick moving and helping with his respiratory therapy. It was incredible to be able to relax and let them do their jobs. They knew exactly what they were doing.”

An outcome that surprised even a heart doctor

Patrick, now 3, recovered completely and has more energy than ever before — certainly enough to swim, ride his electric toy race car, play outside in the Florida sun, and “terrorize his little sister by chasing her around,” Megan says. 

Megan is often reminded that choosing a thoracotomy was the right decision. “We did it for the faster recovery but also the smaller scar.” 

Even Patrick’s new cardiologist back home was impressed. “When he saw the scar, he said, ‘That’s it?’ He was shocked they could do it that way. He was also glad we went to Boston Children’s.”

*Patrick and Megan’s names were changed for privacy.

Learn more about how we treat an atrioventricular (AV) canal defect or request a Heart Center second opinion.